


T is for Trauma

by Tiny_Tangerine14



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Head Injury, Hospital, Hurt/Comfort, Karasuno Team - Freeform, M/M, Poor Kags, Slow Burn, Volleyball Dorks in Love, What Have I Done, concussion, iwaoi if you squint, volleyball injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23741974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiny_Tangerine14/pseuds/Tiny_Tangerine14
Summary: Things go south for Kageyama during a practice match against Blue Castle. With Nationals fast approaching, will the support of his teammates be enough to prompt a speedy recovery or will his dark past rear it’s ugly head?OrI suck at writing summaries I promise the fic will be better aahhhhh
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 32
Kudos: 106





	1. Realizations

**Author's Note:**

> Discaimer: I own nOthiNG all characters belong to our lord and saviour Haruichi Furudate
> 
> Pffff this may or may not be trash and tbh I’m not quite sure how long or where this is really going but oh well ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS WELCOME :)

Unlike his first attempt, it took little time for Takeda-sensei to arrange a practice match against Aoba Johsai. The volleyball team was leaving for Nationals in a couple weeks, leaving him scrambling to arrange as many games possible. 

He cried out in joy and ran down Karasuno’s twisting corridors, ultimately barging through the gym doors. He desperately gasped for breath while Ukai called the team to gather round. “Tomorrow... afternoon we will be...heading to Blue Castle...for a practice match.” 

“Yeah! I can’t wait for the grand king to finally get his shit handed to him!” Hinata bounced up and down. “We beat them at the spring tournament you dumbass, what are you even talking about?” Coach Ukai gave them a glare, silencing them before continuing with further details.

“Doesn’t matter, we’ll do it again,” Hinata whispered back. 

The group of volleyball players disbanded, leaving the offensive duo just out of earshot. “Honestly...” Kageyama lowered his voice and looked around dubiously . “Even if Oikawa’s a self-centered, egocentric, idiotic jerk, he’s one of the hardest-working players out there. Definitely still a jerk though.” 

“Geez, is ‘jerk’ the only insult you know, king?” Kageyama turned on his heels and gave Tsukishima a death glare. Kei smirked. “Oh wait, my sincere apologies. I forgot that you don’t appreciate the nickname, my lord,” he drawled. Luckily, Yamaguchi budded in before someone threw hands. “Come on Tsukki, we’re in charge of cleaning up the court tonight.” Kageyama’s jaw slowly unclenched as he exhaled.

“Jerk...” he muttered under his breath. 

...

An hour later and he was at home, eating his dinner alone and in silence. He was growing increasingly anxious for the match tomorrow. Reasonably so.

He respected his former teammate, even went as far as admiring his setting capabilities. However, he was well aware that the feelings weren’t exactly reciprocated. A flashback of Oikawa nearly hitting him passed his mind, and he shivered.

Kageyama sighed and rested his forehead against the cool dinner table.

His phone vibrated in his pocket as he chewed away at his home-cooked meal.

Mom <3 :  
My meeting is running late, won’t be able to call you tonight. I’ll transfer you some more money once I get out. See you next weekend, love you.

Tobio sighed exasperatedly. His mother was in another prefecture, busy with work. Ever since his father had left them a few years back, she got a full-time job and travelled across Japan for weeks at a time. 

Luv u 2, he texted back. 

He finished up his dinner fairly quickly, while going over some homework due for the next day. Leaving his cell on the kitchen island, he got ready for bed and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. 

He woke up a couple times that night, to the booming clash of thunder and rain pelting against his bedroom window. The growing nervousness resting in the pit of his stomach certainly didn’t help either. Unable to fall back asleep, he stared at his ceiling for hours.

Seemingly moments after he finally managed to drift off into a blissful slumber, his alarm rang loud and resonated through the apartment. Rubbing his sleepy eyes awake, he trudged out of bed and subconsciously went through his morning routine. By 6:30 he was on the bus, on his way to school.

...

“KAGEYAMAAAAA!” Instantly recognizing the shrill voice, he started sprinting towards the entrance. He could feel Hinata’s feet battering against the school floors in tandem with his own, only a few meters ahead. Shoyou was gaining in him, breathing down his neck.

Kageyama managed to reach his locker first and quickly kicked his shoes off, while the other boy simply grabbed his books and ran towards their homeroom. 

The bell rang in sync with Hinata’s victorious shout, as well as the math teacher’s exhausted eye roll. Kageyama sighed as he sat down at his desk, not bothering to give the teacher any attention. 

Their morning classes went by surprisingly quickly, and Kageyama was boarding the bus before he knew it. He was planning to get some much-needed sleep on the way to the gymnasium, but of course Hinata just had to sit next to him. 

“I’m so excited I can’t wait to see their stupid faces when I spike a ball right past them!” Kageyama internally groaned. “Something you wouldn’t be able to do without my setting.” “Oi shut up, you know I’m working on it...” he pouted.

“Yeah Kageyama, wouldn’t want to upset someone who can jump twice as high as you...” Tanaka blatantly lied in an attempt to tease his teammate. Nevertheless, Hinata still beamed confidently at the support.

“Settle down guys, we’re here,” Daichi silenced the rowdy first years as people slowly started trickling out the large bus. 

The cold autumn air nipped at their skin the moment they stepped outside, and they collectively rushed towards the gymnasium entrance.

However, the team came face to face with two very familiar players upon entering. 

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite little prodigy~” Oikawa purred. Kageyama froze in his tracks while Iwaizumi groaned and pulled him away. “Come on shitty-kawa, we don’t have time for your mockery. Coach wanted us to prep the court.”

“See y’a later Tobio-kun! Hope you’re ready to get thrashed~” He winked and ran to catch up with his friend, their conversation dying out in the distance. 

Kageyama’s pale hands curled into two tight fists before Daichi placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.

“Fight him on the court, not here. You aren’t who you used to be.” Nods were shared amongst the group. Looking around, he took in every single face around him. Each and every single Karasuno team member would support Kageyama through thick and thin, something he was immensely grateful for.

It was nice knowing that he wasn’t alone anymore.

He sighed and visibly relaxed, though his gaze remained as sharp and determined as ever. A wide grin spread across his normally intimidating features, and Hinata had trouble refraining from bursting out in laughter. Sugawara elbowed him in the side, but that only made Tanaka and Nishinoya holler.

Kageyama chuckled. “You’re right. Let’s give them what they deserve...”


	2. Volleyball is a dangerous sport

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I know I said that this chapter would be longer, but I’m rearranging my plan a bit so yeah here’s where we are lol
> 
> I HAD NO IDEAS FOR THIS CHAPTER’S TITLE DON’T JUDGE ME
> 
> Yes, I still do not own anything ://
> 
> Warnings for blood and swearing

The Blue Castle court was void of any spectators in the mezzanine, unusually silent. The loud shouts from coaches and players, coupled with the noise of volleyballs hitting the court floor making up nevertheless. 

“Psst...Kageyama, mr. Onion head is staring you down…” Hinata whispered while vaguely gesturing to Kindaichi.

He turned around, and found Hinata to be correct. He definitely didn’t expect a warm greeting from his ex-teammates now-turned rivals, but the death glares they were giving him were a bit much.

Kindaichi was glaring daggers at his head, while Kunimi simply wore a disgruntled face of annoyance. Iwaizumi was busy dealing with Oikawa, luckily leaving the latter unable to make any uncomfortable approaches towards his former kouhai.

Sugawara noticed Kageyama’s uneasy look and tried to lighten the mood. “Wow, you sure have quite a fan club Kageyama!” 

“Pfffft, you can say that again,” Daichi responded. He walked up to Kageyama. “Don’t forget what I told you outside, got it?” 

“What are you guys doing? Get a move on! Let’s hustle, there's only a few minutes left in the warmup!”

“Yes coach!”

...

Albeit it only being a practice match, both teams were ready to give their all. 

“Thank you for the game!” The players from both teams shouted in unison.

The starting six players assumed their respectable positions and the whistle blew. Unfortunately for Karasuno, Oikawa was first to serve and managed to score the first point of the game.

“Ah sorry guys, I’ll get the next one!” Nishinoya shouted.

In the beginning it went back and forth, till Karasuno started pulling ahead mid way through the first set. The freak quick was up and running, and it was easy to notice just how much Karasuno had improved. Their receiving had grown solid, as well as Tsukishima’s adaptable new blocking style.

The first set ended 28-26, for the crows. “Their stupidly fast set should be illegalllll...” Tooru whined as he drank some water. Bluecastle’s ace paid him no attention, subsequently making him complain even louder. “Are you listening to me Iwa-chan?” “No. I learnt to tune you out a long time ago.” 

Oikawa pouted until the second set.

Hinata and Kageyama were in tip top shape, no doubt about it. The score was already 15 - 13, but Karasuno was starting to make a comeback. Oikawa wasn’t planning on letting them build up any more steam. He was ending it, here and now. 

Aoba Johsai rotated once more and it was finally the captain’s turn to serve again. Ukai was attempting to resist the increasing urge to fidget in his chair. Oikawa’s serve always made him nervous, whether it be for the sake of the game or even the safety of his players. 

A ball that fast was bound to cause some serious injuries if it wasn’t properly received, and even if it hadn’t happened as of yet, the possibility remained.

Daichi and Nishinoya clapped each other’s hand as a sign of support and solidarity. Being the only two elite defensemen of the team had its pros and cons, this situation in particular definitely being amongst the downsides.

Tooru tossed the ball from hand to hand, blocking out his surroundings. 

It felt smooth and dense under his calloused fingertips. 

He inhaled. 

Exhaled. 

Inhaled. 

Opened his eyes. 

Gracefully throwing it into the air, he knew it was going to be a perfect serve. The toss and his approach were absolutely flawless. 

Time froze as the ball hovered in mid-air, rapidly spinning on its axis.

Rotating his shoulder and cracking his hand forward like a whip, the ball sliced through the air with inhumane speed. He closed his eyes as he fell towards the floor.

Landing with a gentle thud, he waited patiently for the satisfying noise of ball hitting court floor, never bothering to look across the court.

*CRACK*

His eyes shot open in surprise. A crack?

The gym was momentarily silent. Eerily silent.

Suddenly, someone started screaming.

Kageyama fell to the ground from the momentum, the back of his head colliding with the floorboards.

He laid motionless, vision speckled with dark splotches. Then the pain set in. 

His nose felt out of place, searing with extreme pain and he could feel his brain hammering against the inside of his skull. 

There was dark blood staining his trembling hands, with which he covered his gushing nose. It was flowing down his face and neck, pooling around him.

He was vaguely aware of the group of players now surrounding him, as well as the worried murmurs circulating between them. 

“Guys back up, don’t overwhelm him,” Daichi said as Coach Ukai ran over. The opposite players were pooling at the front of the net, trying to get a glimpse of what was currently happening.

He was having trouble breathing through his clenched teeth, the blood seeping into his mouth and obstructing his airway. Tears sprang in Hinata’s eyes.

“YOU!” He screamed. “YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE DIDN’T YOU!”

He lunged aggressively towards Oikawa, Ennoshita and Asahi barely holding him back in time. He flailed in their grasp before going limp.

The Bluecastle coach hurried over to assess the damage himself. Kageyama was clearly holding back tears, but had more of a shocked expression than anything else.

“Let’s get you up,” Ukai said as he lifted his head up to prevent him from choking. Sugawara and Tanaka each wrapped an arm around his defined waist, hoisting him up at the count of three.

Kiyoko brandished a towel into Ukai’s hands, who applied pressure on Kageyama’s nose to stop the bleeding. He seemed pretty steady on his feet, though his two teammates remained at his side.

They slowly guided him off the court and to the bench.

“Do you feel dizzy at all?” Coach Irihata asked, kneeling in front of the injured player. He stared ahead into oblivion, clearly dazed. “Kageyama?” 

He closed his eyes. Tears were freely pouring down his face, mixing with all the blood. 

“Kageyama, I know it hurts, but you’re going to have to move your hands,” Ukai said. A Seijou player had left to go get the school nurse, but there weren’t any guarantees she would be there at all.

“‘S br’ken…” he slurred.

“We still need to take a look, you never know.” 

His hands still didn’t budge, forcing Takeda to peel them away. 

Kageyama openly sobbed as more blood flowed down his chin.

The coaches paled and Sugawara was forced to look away. Asahi was turning a little green, and Daichi wisely dragged him to the opposite side of the court.

It was clear that his nose took the brunt of the hit. Being bent at such a nauseating angle and seemed to have severely shifted to the right, it was no question as to whyhe was in so much pain.

“Okay, so it’s broken, that’s for sure.” 

He dangerously swayed back and forth. “Are you dizzy? Light-headed?” Ukai carefully passed his hands to the back of his head.

He froze. 

The hair on the back of his head was matted with blood, and there was a large bump forming.

He pitifully whimpered.

“D’zzy…”

“Anything else?”

“n’ck...” “What?”

He gestured to his neck with a trembling hand.

“h’rts…”

“Okay. Takeda-Sensei, call an ambulance.”

The word ambulance sent ripples through the gymnasium.

“It couldn’t be that bad, could it?” Oikawa asked Iwaizumi. “He probably has a concussion. Just hope it isn’t too severe.”

The Bluecastle player re-entered the gym. “The nurse isn’t here.” “Of fucking course.”

“Wha?” 

Kageyama was looking around, extremely confused. The pain was still nauseating and he was getting closer to passing out every second.

Ukai grabbed his shaking hand in his two big ones. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. An ambulance is already on its way and going to bring you to the hospital.”

His eyes fluttered closed.

“No, Tobio, keep your eyes on me alright?” 

Another wave of vertigo came crashing down, resulting in Kageyama slumping forward and onto the gym floor, unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m finishing up and editing the next few chapters, and I think that I’ll update every two weeks or so. 
> 
> I fully plan on making the chapters longer in the future I know how much short chapters can be a pain.
> 
> anyways I would absolutely LOVE to hear any feedback (I’m worried it’s OOC whoopsies) you may have and
> 
> STAY SAFE GUYS DON’T FORGET TO WASH YOUR HANDS :))


	3. Family only

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put quite a bit of medical research in for this chapter and the next few to come, but I’m not a medical professional so if ever any of the terminology used or even if just the situation itself is unrealistic, please let me know and I’ll fix it right away!
> 
> As always, hope you guys enjoy and comments are always welcome :)
> 
> Warnings for swearing and mentions of blood  
> Nothing is mine lol

The loud ambulance sirens were a welcome noise to everyone in the gymnasium. 

Kageyama passed out 5 minutes ago, and had yet to wake up. He lay limp on the cold gym floor, head resting on his coach’s lap and bloodied hand in Hinata’s much smaller one.

Ennoshita and Mattsukawa greeted the two paramedics outside and guided them onto the court. Carrying multiple first aid kits, Kageyama’s surrounding teammates moved out of the way as the EMTs sprinted past.

A stretcher was brought in after a primary assessment. They were quick to strap him on the immobile board and beckoned for a few players to come over.

The high school students assisted them in lifting Kageyama atop the rolling bed, taking great care to safely secure all the buckles.

Hinata briskly accompanied him outside and to the ambulance, before he was forced to loosen his iron-clad grip on Kageyama’s wrist.

“Please…” he begged. “Let me ride with him…”

“Hinata, Takeda-Sensei can bring you to the hospital afterwards. An adult needs to be with him right now,” Ukai said as he climbed into the back of the ambulance.

The small teenager stole one more teary-eyed glance at his friend before reluctantly nodding. 

Kageyama looked small and frail, completely defenseless. The dark blood covering his face really brought out the worrying pallor of his skin.

“Please watch out for Kageyama coach,” he muttered under his breath, but it was too late. 

The heavy doors closed as the sirens turned back on. The ambulance sped away and disappeared from his line of sight moments later, as it turned left and onto the highway.

. . .

“How’s he doing?” The paramedic driving shouted across the sirens.

“He’s losing a lot of blood. Still unconscious, unresponsive to all stimuli. Severe head trauma is suspected.”

“Shit, we’re still 15 minutes out.”

“Severe head trauma?” Ukai muttered. “Will he be alright?”

“It’s too soon to tell.”

He was already hooked up to multiple IV bags, pumping plasma, blood and other liquids into his frail body.

The young volleyball coach rubbed small circles on his player’s forearm in a caring and reassuring motion. “What the hell did you get yourself into Tobio…”

. . .

Hinata re-entered the gymnasium, surprised to see the court being cleaned up and players packing their duffel bags.

“What, you didn’t actually think we were going to finish up the game, did you?” Oikawa asked upon seeing his shocked expression.

He looked down at the floor, ashamed.

“Hey Shoyo! Hurry up and get your stuff !” Nishinoya yelled. 

“Why? Where are we going?”

“Takeda-sensei’s going to drive us to the hospital, but we have to take the bus back to school first for those who have to go home.” Daichi answered.

The two captains and managing staff bid their farewells, with promises of updating on Tobio’s situation as soon as they had any news.

. . .

Everyone was on edge by the time the bus pulled up in the school parking lot, a good 20 minutes later. Ukai hadn’t given any updates whatsoever, not even responding to his players’ multiple panicked texts.

Kinoshita, Narita and Kiyoko reluctantly got off the bus and left to go home, upon their parents requests.

Not long into the trip to the local Myagi hospital, they got stuck in a massive traffic jam.

“God fucking dammit! Could the traffic be any fucking slower!”

“Watch your language Tanaka,” the captain warned. “We’re all worried, but there are ladies present.” He gestured towards Yachi, who blushed.

“Uhm, it’s alright Sawamura-san. We’re all really worried, that’s all.”

Hinata seethed in the back seat, an action that didn’t go unnoticed by Sugawara.

He discreetly made his way to the back of the bus, while the rest of his teammates bickered about god knows what.

“Hinata, are you alright?’’

The small orange-haired boy looked out at the neighboring cars, lost in thought. His hands were curled into two tight fists, teeth clenched. He turned to look at his upperclassman, eyes brimmed with tears.

“That idiot...Stupid jerk...It’s all his fault!’’

The older boy sighed and sat down in the empty seat, where Kageyama sat a mere two hours before.

“Hinata, Oikawa didn’t do this on purpose. His serve is-“

“Not Oikawa! Kageyama!”

He looked out the window again, leaving Sugawara confused and unsure on how to continue.

“Why couldn’t he have just moved out of the way? None of this was ever supposed to happen! What about nationals? I’m sure that dumbass just chickened out and couldn’t handle the pressure!”

“Take a deep breath and calm down, you aren’t making any sense.”

Hinata let out a pitiful sob, avoiding Suga’s gaze. “I know...It’s just that without him, I’m not the greatest.”

All of his emotions overtook him, a wave of turmoil crashing down. He was vaguely aware of two sturdy arms enveloping his small trembling frame in a comforting hug.

By then, the whole scene had garnished the attention of the team. A suffocating silence washed over the bus, and it stayed for the entirety of the trip.

. . .

Ukai was sitting in the middle of the empty waiting room, hunched over a plastic hospital chair.

“Coach!”

He looked up, unsurprised to see a herd of high schoolers running towards him. Takeda came in after them, looking quite disheveled.

“How’s Kageyama doing?”

“They took him in for some scans a half hour ago to check for cerebral hemorrhage or contusions, whatever those are. If he does, he’ll need surgery.”

A wave of unease washed over the room. They continued peppering their coach with questions, most of to which he didn’t have an answer. After a while, all the commotion died down, which left most of the players sitting in silence or making awkward small talk.

Takeda-sensei walked over to Ukai and gently tapped him on the shoulder. “I’d like to talk to you somewhere a little more private, away from curious ears.” Keishin huffed and slicked his hair back as he followed Takeda down a corridor, joints cracking as he stood up.

He nervously looked away under Takeda’s scrutinizing gaze.

“I can tell you’re hiding something.” He didn’t get a response, and lowered his voice before pushing a little further. “Is Kageyama-kun in a worse condition than you said?”

“It’s actually kinda the opposite. He regained consciousness on the way here, which is really good. I just...don’t want to give them any sense of false hope, you know?.”

The older of the duo visibly relaxed, a mere shadow of a grin crossing his features. He playfully punched Ukai in the arm.

“Sensei! What the hell was that for!”

“You got me all worked up for nothing! I thought you were about to tell me some terrible news!”

Sudden raging shouts filled the hallway, effectively interrupting the conversation. They shared a look of desperation and rushed into the hospital waiting room.

Nishinoya was standing on top of a dangerously wobbly plastic chair, blocking Ukai’s view. The entire team seemed to be facing towards the entrance. Hinata was shouting at the top of his lungs, the poor receptionist’s pleas for quiet falling on deaf ears.

Asahi and Daichi were barely able to prevent him from lunging at two mysterious figures Takeda and Ukai still couldn’t quite make out.

“Hinata! Calm down, would you? And Nishinoya, get the hell down from there!”

Once he got a little closer, all the commotion made sense. Just in front of the sliding doors, stood Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime.

“QUIET!” Takeda ordered, successfully silencing the rowdy team.

Ukai gave an apologetic glance to the receptionist, who simply let out an exasperated sigh and went back to her work.

Hinata ran out of the room, evident tears rolling down his cheeks. Yachi followed suit.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Daichi told the two Bluecastle players. “We all know you didn’t mean for Kageyama to get hurt, Hinata’s just...struggling to accept what happened. I mean, we all are.”

“It’s okay, we understand. We’re worried about him too. Anyways, how’s he doing?” Iwaizumi asked.

Daichi rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly and awkwardly looked at the floor. “They took him in for some sort of brain scan around an hour ago. No news yet.”

Oikawa sighed as he sat down. He placed his head in shaking hands. 

An elderly looking man wearing the symbolic white lab coat walked over to the two adults. 

“I believe you are both here for a certain Kageyama Tobio?” He asked in a deep, husky voice.

The players immediately realized the doctor was talking about their injured teammate’s condition. Everyone was instantly hushed.

“Yes we are! Is he in surgery right now?” Takeda asked.

“Fortunately, he is not. By some miracle, albeit having suffered extensive trauma to the head, he only has a severe concussion. I know it may not sound very encouraging, but he’s a very lucky boy.”

“Could we go visit him?” Yamaguchi timidly asked.

“I’m afraid not, only family is allowed at the moment. He’s currently with our otolaryngologist to reset his broken nose. He’ll be placed in the ICU later tonight and if all goes well, should be transferred to the pediatric ward by tomorrow.”

A call came over the intercom and the doctor hurried down the hallway without another word.

“Kageyama...has a family?” Nishinoya asked. Ennoshita smacked him on the back of the head.

“Of course he does. I wonder where they are though, wouldn’t they be here already?”

Hinata reappeared, eyes bloodshot and puffy from crying. It seemed he had calmed down, though still avoided looking at either Oikawa or Iwaizumi.

“Hinata! Good to have you back bruh!” Tanaka yelled as he harshly slapped him on the back. Yachi peeked out from behind Hinata’s form and was met with Daichi’s trademark reassuring smile.

“His father left him and his mother a few years back…” An awkward silence settled over the group.

“Wha-what? I never knew that!” Oikawa said.

“I’m not surprised, you did treat him like trash after all,” Hinata vehemently spat out.

Oikawa looked down at the ground, riddled with guilt and confusion. Ukai gave his player a death glare, something he had only seen once before. It must have done the trick, since  
Hinata refrained from tossing out another insult.

Takeda walked over to the receptionist’s desk and asked whether or not his mother had been contacted. “Really? Alright, sorry for bothering you. Thank you very much.”

He walked back over to the group and turned to face Ukai. “His mother has been notified. She’s currently away on a business trip and won’t be able to come visit for a few days.”

“So...What do we do now?” Yamaguchi asked.

“There’s no use in staying if we can’t go see him. Might as well leave and come back tomorrow during visiting hours.” Tsukishima said.

“No, we have to stay overnight! Kageyama wouldn’t want to be left all alone!” Hinata shouted.

“Sorry kid, but Tsukishima’s right. You should all go home and get some rest. Practice will be cancelled tomorrow, but I can’t do anything about your classes.”

“And don’t worry about him being all alone, I’m positive the nurses will take good care of Kageyama-kun!” Takeda chimed in.

People slowly started shuffling out of the waiting room and towards the bus. 

Hinata looked down at the ground dejectedly. He glanced back down the long hallway. A bed was being rolled into a private room, though the injured person was covered by multiple blankets. All that was visible was a pale and bandaged face with a tuft of dark black hair.

Hinata froze and did a double-take. Kageyama? Could it really be-

“Yo Hinata, you coming?” Nishinoya pestered. He sighed and put on his sports jacket. 

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

I promise I’ll be back Kageyama, just hold out a little longer...

He pivoted on his heels and exited the hospital, swearing to return by tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m settling into a GrOovE with writing, so a new chapter will be up every 2 weeks or so! 
> 
> Please stay safe guys and WASH THOSE HANDS
> 
> I’d love to know what y’all think (✿◕‿◕)


	4. Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t really like how this chapter turned out but I’ve been SUPER busy (omfg online classes sUCK) and kinda threw it together real fast whoops.
> 
> I’ll probably come back and edit this chapter so don’t be too surprised if things change lol
> 
> AS I ALWAYS SAY I’D LOVE TO KNOW YOUR OPINIONS AND I OWN NOTHING!
> 
> warning for graphic(?) descriptions of vomit

The lights were too bright. The beeping of the heart monitor too loud. Each and every little thing suddenly irritated Kageyama to the ninth degree. His head was pounding and his entire face ached with pain. 

He felt super lethargic and drowsy, struggling to lift his hand to press the help button dangling next to his bed. The light flashed red a few times. He groaned and relaxed his trembling hands over his lap. All he wanted to do was curl up under the blankets and disappear, but the wires and tubes prevented him from doing so.

His migraine spiked as the nurse entered his room.

“You called, Kageyama-kun?” 

Her tone was soft and caring, fitting her overall appearance. She was on the heftier side, not obese by any means, but definitely not the skinniest of the bunch. Her grey hair framed her chubby cheeks and round head. It was cut just above her name tag, which read Yuki in small kanji figures.

Tobio stared at her dubiously. Her figure blurred in and out of focus.

“d’nt feel good…” he slurred. The sweat was beading at his hairline, accumulating under the thick gauze wrapped around his head. The world lurched dangerously around him. “‘m gonn’ throw up.”

“Oh dear.” 

Yuki was surprisingly quick on her feet, but not quite quick enough. A thick stream of bile dribbled down Kageyama’s chin, who was still trying to contain it. Just when she reached Tobio’s bedside with a large bowl, he lurched forward and expelled whatever he had eaten in the past 24 hours.

He retched again and again, the rancid vomit sloshing around the bowl. His migraine spiked as Yuki brushed his hair off his sweaty forehead.

“It’s okay sweetie, get it all out.”

After a few minutes, Kageyama slumped back onto his bed. Never in his entire life had he ever felt so terrible. His nose was searing with pain, which goes without even talking about how much his head hurt.

“I’m sorry Kageyama-kun, but I can’t give you more painkillers yet. I know it seems hard but just try to sleep, okay? I’m always just one call away.” 

He groaned his approval and Yuki silently left on the pads of her feet.

. . .

Hinata couldn’t stop fidgeting in his seat for the life of him. It was his last class of the day, and in only an hour or so he’d be back on the bus and on the way to visit Kageyama.

“Why are you squirming around so much Hinata? Do you need to use the bathroom?”

“GAAAAAH NO SIR!” A few of his classmates snickered. The class went on, his math teacher lifting an eyebrow before turning back to the white board.

They weren’t allowed phones in class, so he had no way of knowing any possible updates from his coach or the hospital staff. He anxiously tapped his foot against the ground and looked out the window, desperately trying to distract himself.

“Actually yes sir!” He stood up briskly and his chair flew backwards. “I have to go to the bathroom!” He bolted out of the classroom before anyone could speak up.

He ran down Karasuno’s corridors, all the way to his locker on the first floor. He yanked it open and checked his phone, disappointed yet relieved to find no notifications. Letting out a sigh, he sat down with his back against the locker.

“Hinata? Shouldn’t you be in class right now?” Yamaguchi asked. Hinata jumped to his feet, surprised to see a friend out in the hallways. 

“I was just going to the bathroom.” Yamaguchi opened his mouth, but closed it once he saw Tsukishima at the other side of the empty hallway. He flailed his arms and ran over to his childhood friend.

“Sorry Hinata! I’ve gotta go back to class but I’ll see you later!”

The hallways were silent again. He tossed his phone on the top shelf of his locker and headed back to class.

. . .

“I’ll never forgive you for making me do this,” Kindaichi grumbled. 

“You may not be all that close of friends with Kageyama, but you still know him. He got hurt, the least you can do is visit him,” Iwaizumi argued. 

Oikawa joined them, having just talked to the receptionist. “He’s in room 408.”

They silently entered the elevator. Kindaichi and Kunimi gave off the vibe they’d rather be anywhere else.

“Wipe those sour looks off your faces.” The metal doors opened with a ding and Oikawa shoved the flowers into Iwaizumi’s hands. “Here, you take them Iwa-chan.”

“What? Why me? You take them!”

“He literally hates me. You give the flowers.”

Hajime rolled his eyes and grabbed the bouquet. They reached the room, but looked amongst each other hesitantly. Oikawa pushed Kunimi towards the door and gave him a firm glare.

Kunimi reached for the handle, before drawing back and rapping his knuckles against the door. Nobody called out to welcome them in. Carefully turning the knob, the door creaked open.

Kageyama’s eyes hesitantly opened, not really able to focus on anything other than darkness.

“Kageyama?” Iwaizumi called out and tip-toed into the room. The beeping of the monitors was the only thing disturbing the silence.

“...iwaizumi-san?” He asked, barely louder than a whisper. The door opened wider, light filtering in from the bright hallways. “Wha-“

Kageyama lurched forward and threw up into the bowl on his lap without any warning. Kunimi, who had a weak stomach, ran out of the room looking queasy with Kindaichi following him.

Oikawa grimaced and remained frozen by his bedside, averting eye contact. He felt extremely guilty. After all, it was theoretically his fault that Kageyama was in this position. His serve. His fault.

It didn’t help that Kageyama’s situation was much worse than he had ever expected. A firm cast was laid across the bridge of Kageyama’s nose, gauze wrapped under his nostrils and held in place with medical tape. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. There were dark bruises littering his cheekbones, a sharp contrast to his extremely pale complexion. The back of his head was clearly heavily bandaged, a little thinner where the gauze lapped over his forehead.

Iwaizumi placed the bouquet in the empty vase on the nightstand and pressed the help button.

Kageyama spit out some bile and leant back into the mattress. He groaned and draped a hand over his sweaty forehead. His throat was scraped raw, having regurgitated forcefully non-stop for the past 12 hours.

“I assume you two fine young gentlemen are friends of Kageyama-kun?” Yuki asked as she entered his private room. She took the vomit-filled bowl with a professional sense of dignity and cleaned it in the bathroom.

She returned and gently leaned him forwards to fluff his pillows. 

“Yes, we are,” Oikawa finally responded. Kageyama looked at him weirdly, but groaned and closed his eyes. If they wanted to pretend to care about him, let them be. He was well aware that his upperclassmen disliked him. Hated even.

“Ah, I almost forgot. Your team is in the waiting room, dividing into visiting groups. Feel free to make them leave if ever you get overwhelmed, okay? Your health has to come first. They’ll come in once you two boys leave.”

“...kay.”

Iwaizumi walked by his bed and placed a hand on his junior’s shoulders. “Get better soon Kageyama, we’ll see you back on the court.” 

Oikawa nodded. “I know we aren’t very close, but we were still really worried about you. All of us. Hell, even Kunimi and Kindaichi came along.” 

He gave Iwaizumi a look, who left the room silently to give them some privacy. Pulling up a chair to his bed, Tooru sat down and exhaled loudly. He grasped Kageyama’s trembling hand and lowered his voice. “Look Tobio, I…” He looked away, embarrassed. “I’m really sorry. I promise I didn’t do it on purpose, it was a complete accident I swear-“

“I know Oikawa-san…” he interrupted.

He gathered his courage and stared into Kageyama’s deep blue eyes. “I care about you a lot, you know.” The heart monitor started beeping faster and Oikawa’s worry spiked. “Tobio-kun? Are you alright?”

He breathed in deeply. “...yes.”

Iwaizumi’s head popped through the door. “You coming shitty-kawa?”

Oikawa stood up and moved the chair back to the corner of the room. He patted Kageyama’s hand, mindful to not touch any of the tubes. “Take care and rest up. We’ll come visit you again before you get discharged.”

Oikawa walked towards the door, but froze when he heard Kageyama weakly cry out his name.

“Thank you…” He cried out, not even trying to cover up the tears that were pouring down his cheeks.

Tooru turned around and wiped at his own watery eyes. “See you later Kageyama,” he said while flashing his famous grin. “And don’t worry about volleyball. With your talent, you’ll be back in no time.” 

The door shut quietly behind them.

Kageyama stared at the ceiling, trying desperately to not break down sobbing. His emotions were way out of whack.

Hinata stood a mere 15 feet away, on the other side of the room door. Shoyo hesitantly entered, followed closely by Yachi and Sugawara.

Before Hinata could even say anything, Kageyama’s raspy voice reached his ears.

“leave…I don’t want you here.”

“What?” Hinata’s eyes widened in shock. Panic gnawed at the pit of his stomach.

Kageyama’s fists desperately gripped at the bed sheets, his knuckles turning white from the strain. He looked down at his lap to avoid eye contact.

Kageyama cried out.

“Get away from me!”

The beeping of the heart monitor sped up. Sugawara tugged at Hinata’s sleeve. “C’mon, let’s go. We can come back later.” 

Hinata looked back at Kageyama in the doorway.

“Tobio…” 

He was trembling and clutching his head with his hands. His blankets were covered with wet splotches, most likely from tears. 

Hinata looked away to hide his own emotions. Sugawara dragged him away forcefully, shutting the door behind them.

“Why…” Shoyo croaked out. “WHY CAN’T I BE BY YOUR SIDE!” he yelled. 

Kageyama groaned as he curled in on himself, trying to block out Hinata’s screams and muffle his sobs. His migraine was back with a vengeance.

The last thing he saw was the beautiful bouquet of flowers by his bedside before he fell into a blissful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that it’s kinda ooc whoops imma fix that ://
> 
> Just a heads up I think this is gonna turn into a really long fic lmao I have so many ideas.


	5. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE’S ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR Y’ALL!
> 
> This chapter may be a little confusing but all will be resolved in due time :))
> 
> MANY THANKS TO MY BESTEST OF BEST FRIEND GRACE FOR EDITING THIS CHAPTER WE FUCKING STAN-
> 
> Warnings for language

What. The fuck.

He knew he should have been apprehensive when Yuki attached a morphine drip next to his bed. 

Kageyama was dreaming. He had to be. There was no way in hell Hinata was taller than him. It wasn’t possible.

His teammates stood parallel to the net, silently glaring daggers. The moon’s light filtered through the windows and onto the wooden court floor, illuminating the small cracks. The gym lights flickered for a brief moment and it was only now that he truly knew what it felt to be faced by an immovable wall.

“Kageyamaaaa,” Hinata drawled, suddenly appearing next to him. “Hit the ball faster, would you? You’re wasting all the energy I’m putting into my sets.” 

The ball fell in front of his nearby team with a dry thud, as though the ball was filled with sand. Tobio was gobsmacked, he couldn't move his feet, his shoes feeling more and more heavy.

“Since when are you a setter?" he spoke with urgency, panicked. “And how the hell are you taller than me?”

Daichi pat Kageyama on the back making the younger boy freeze up and slowly turn around. He looked at Kageyama the way a predator looks at his prey.

“Daichi-san? Why are you so tall?”

Daichi chuckled dryly and crouched down to his height. His face began to morph into a volleyball and Kageyama jumped back, wide eyed and mouth agape.

“Are we tall? Or are you just short?” Daichi asked.

Kageyama accidentally backed himself into the gym wall as more volleyball-headed teammates surrounded him.

Hinata advanced, growing with each step, easily reaching 9 feet tall when he stood in front of Kageyama. He leaned over to further intimidate Tobio. Everyone else stayed a few feet back, watching the scene unravel. Kageyama noticed they were fewer than before. The ground had opened up into a huge sinkhole where they were standing moments before. 

“Wha-“

Hinata’s head, now a bright yellow volleyball, shined dully in the dim and unstable lighting. He towered over Kageyama, wanting him to feel the full wrath of his height.

Kageyama felt tiny.

His head began to throb and his knees shook violently, threatening to make him collapse at any moment. He fell to the floor in a lump, while Hinata moved even closer. Hinata lifted his ginormous foot and placed it on Kageyama’s head, slowly adding more and more force. 

Desperate, he spit and furiously clawed at the shoe.

There was a horrible pressure building inside his skull. 

“Get off of me!”

Hinata kicked him in the head. “Why are you mad? I’m not doing anything that you don’t deserve.”

His sight fizzled out in front of him, though he desperately tried to stay conscious. A volleyball smacked the ground right in front of him. He let out a blood-curdling screech that made his own hairs stand on end.

He slowly opened his eyes, only to shut them tightly closed at the blinding hospital lights overhead. His head felt like a bowling ball. He reached around blindly for the help button, though his trembling hand found everything except the button. The machines next to him started beating faster.

He finally managed to press it and tried to relax into his bed. Draping a hand over his eyes, he thanked whatever gods existed that it was just a terrible dream that he prayed wouldn’t happen again. He made sure to take a few deep breaths to slow his racing heart. The machines continued their shrill beeps, but began slowing down, effectively alleviating his excruciating migraine. 

The bright lights flickered and the door opened. He expected Yuki, or any other nurse, but no one was on the other side. Panic gnawed at his stomach and he frantically pushed the help button again. 

A volleyball flew down the empty hospital ward and through the doorway and knocked the bouquet of flowers Oikawa and Iwaizumi had gotten him, shattering the glass vase all over the floor. He screamed as loud as he could, the machines drowned out his cries. 

Another ball flew into his room and hit him square in the forehead. His head flew back and his body rolled out of the bed with the momentum of his head swinging around. He got to his battered knees whilst clutching his head. Using the nearby I.V. stand, he shakily managed to pull himself up to a standing position.

When he looked back at wherever the balls had come from, all he saw was Hinata blocking the entrance. 

“What do you want...” he rasped.

“Payback of course, for all those times you belittled me, made me feel like nothing,” Shoyou vehemently spat out. He had to duck to not hit his head on the hospital ceiling, and yet again, Kageyama felt like the small one. 

To his great dismay, he shook like a leaf in fright. “Help-“ he croaked, looking for anyone that could save him. He leaned onto the wall for support and tried escaping to the other side of the room.

Hinata barely did so much as flick his head and it sent ripples of pain through him and he fell to the floor again.

“You really are a king, you know that?”

He looked up, surprised to see that Hinata had morphed into Oikawa. 

“Get up,” he ordered. Kageyama curled in on himself, forcing Oikawa to pull him up to his shaky feet. 

Oikawa wrapped a long arm around his waist and helped him to his bed. He laid Kageyama down on the hospital bed and slowly started to shrink back to his original size. 

“Are you feeling alright Tobio-chan?” He actually looked...worried? It was definitely a complete change of attitude from before. “I know, I’m just your annoying upperclassman, but please take care of yourself. We were all very-very-very worried.” His voice broke off and sounded choppy, almost like a broken disc on repeat.

He grabbed Kageyama’s wrist and tugged forcefully. “Come to the gym with me Tobio. We can work on your serves.”

“After I get released I’ll come watch,” Kageyama felt very uneasy. The lights and machines shut off completely, plunging the room in the darkness and a suffocating silence settled.

“Come-come to the gym with me now-now Tobio. We can work on your ser-ser-serves.”

The lights turned back on and Oikawa’s head had been replaced by another volleyball. He was towering over his Kageyama, only a few inches away.

He screamed again and desperately shoved the volleyball away.

“You’re just a worthless grape. Oops, I mean runt,” the volleyball said in Hinata’s voice. “Your volleyball career is over. I’ll always be better than you now. You’ll never get to play ever again. Everything you’ve worked for, gone. Just like that.” Hinata laughs grew louder and louder.

“Isn’t it funny? You’ll never get to set. I even took over your position as starting setter! I do hope you come see our games once in a while!”

Kageyama screamed once the volleyball fell off Hinata’s neck and onto his lap.

He didn’t stop screaming.

. . .

“Kageyama, wake up, you’re having a nightmare.”

Kageyama blinked hesitantly, instinctively bringing up his hand to cover up the harsh light. He made sure to wipe away the large tears off his cheeks before anyone could see him. 

“Are you alright dear?” Yuki asked. “Must have been one hell of a bad dream, the cardiac monitor was going absolutely haywire.”

“Yeah.”

He avoided her gaze, opting to look down at the tubes connecting him to fluids. Yuki felt bad for him. Her younger son had night terrors, so she knew how much of a hassle they could be.

“When will I be able to leave?” Kageyama asked, pulling the nurse out of her thoughts. 

“You have an MRI scheduled tomorrow morning and you’ll have to get your nose checked again by the otolaryngologist.” She flipped through some charts at the edge of his bed. “If all is good, you should be discharged in a few days at most.” 

Kageyama looked down at his shaking hands. “Do you know when I’ll be able to play volleyball again? We have a big tournament coming up and I'm the starting setter.”

“Oh, so those rowdy boys in the waiting room were your teammates, weren’t they?” She chuckled. “They created quite a commotion, you know. You’re very lucky to have such good friends.”

Tobio looked away. She had a sense that the conversation was over and that maybe they weren’t all as close as she had initially thought.

“Yeah, friends…”

“Why, did something happen between you guys?” Yuki asked, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

Kageyama hesitated. The white bed sheets crumpled into his fists.

“Only with Hinata. Oh, the really short one with orange hair.” The older woman must have been dying for some gossip, because she was hooked on his every word.

“I think he’s the reason behind all of this,” he said while vaguely gesturing to his injuries. An image of Hinata flashed in his head and he grimaced. 

“Get some rest Kageyama-kun. I’ll see if I can schedule a meeting for you with our resident physiotherapist before your discharge, okay?”

She left the room and turned the lights off. Kageyama eased back into the pillows. The painkillers were wearing off, aggravating his already near-unbearable headache, but at least he was sure not to have any more drug-fueled nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Online classes are such a pain in my ass I know I complain all the time, but I’m finishing really soon and I’ll be able to post more frequently!  
>  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> CRITICISM AND COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME :))


	6. Whoopsies

AH IM SO SORRY EVERYONE I WENT ON A SHORT HIATUS BUT FORGOT TO TELL ANYONE CAUSE IM AN IDIOT LIKE THAT BUT I’M PICKING THE FIC BACK UP AND WILL UPDATE REGULARLY AGAIN :))

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING AND CHAP 6 WILL BE OUT IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS :DD


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